Citroën unveils 2-seat EV that costs $22 per month and doesn't require a license

[midian182]

In brief: If you’re looking for something small and cheap to get you around busy city streets, Citroën could have the solution. Its “Ami” vehicle is a tiny, electric two-seater that doesn’t even require a license to drive.

Featuring a 5.5kWh battery beneath the floor, Ami can be fully charged in three hours by plugging it into a standard 220v outlet, after which it will run for 44 miles. The two seats are placed next to each other inside the heated cabin, which boasts a panoramic sunroof, and it also has manual windows that open by tilting them upwards—a wink to Citroën’s classic 2 CV. Don’t expect to get anywhere fast, though: its 6-kW motor gives the 1,070-pound vehicle a top speed of 28 mph.

While the interior is sparse, there’s still an LCD screen, a smartphone holder, and a place for a Bluetooth-enabled speaker.

The Citroën Ami is classed as a light quadricycle, which means it can be operated without a license by someone as young as 14 in France and 16 in other European countries.

There are several options available for those interested in the Ami. It can be rented at €20 (around $22) per month for a two-year lease as long as you pay the €2,644 ($2,900) initial payment. Alternatively, it’s available to buy for €6,000 ($6,600), or you can rent it from the Free2Move car-sharing service in Europe for €0.26 (29 cents) per minute on top of the €9.90 ($10.90) monthly subscription.

We tell you everything you have to know about our new fully electric mobility solution in Paris with Citroën AMI. pic.twitter.com/QQ9oAilj5D

— Free2Move (@Free2Move) February 27, 2020

Orders for the Citroën Ami begin in France on March 30 and several months later in Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal and then Germany. The first deliveries are scheduled for June.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/84201-citron-unveils-2-seat-ev-costs-22-month.html

 

[Lounds]

Very clever but only going to be useful for big urban cities such as London, Paris etc.

 

[Kazkas]

Basically, an expensive, 2 seated scooter with the roof... Not much enthusiasm from me...

 

[Musician]

Can I skip the in cabin ads?

 

[Uncle Al]

Double the mileage and I think it could be a hit ... as it is there are other alternatives for the same money and larger .....

 

[bviktor]

Very clever but only going to be useful for big urban cities such as London, Paris etc.

So... to dozens of millions of people.

 

[rrwards]

Title: "...that costs $22 per month..."
Article: "It can be rented at €20 (around $22) per month for a two-year lease as long as you pay the €2,644 ($2,900) initial payment"

Stop with the click bait please. This is the same sh*t that car dealers pull with lease advertisements. I'd expect better from TS.

 

[lipe123]

Title: "...that costs $22 per month..."
Article: "It can be rented at €20 (around $22) per month for a two-year lease as long as you pay the €2,644 ($2,900) initial payment"

Stop with the click bait please. This is the same sh*t that car dealers pull with lease advertisements. I'd expect better from TS.

Uhm it says "PER MONTH" in the title, what are you on about?
Deep breaths...

I do feel they should have upped the range a little closer to 100km but this makes a lot of sense for those large cities where every car has 1 or maaaybe 2 occupants and they are just taking up all the road.

 

[TomSEA]

Clever idea, but the only problem I see with it is you could only get into one wreck with it. Then both you and the car are done.

 

[Capaill]

Uhm it says "PER MONTH" in the title, what are you on about?
Deep breaths...

He means it's not $22 per month. It's $2900 and then $524 paid monthly over 2 years. So the minimum price of the car is $3424. A long way from the suggestion that you can hop in and start driving it after paying $22. I presume they also need insurance.

I'm also not sure I'm comfortable having 14-/16-year olds driving a car with their friend around city streets, while watching their smartphones, without any formal driving training whatsoever. I can see the lack of a license being abused as there would be no way of assigning penalty points to the driver.

 

[Underdog]

Just when you thought cars couldn't get any uglier. The damned thing doesn't seem to have a front or rear either, at least from the side view.

 

[OortCloud]

Just when you thought cars couldn't get any uglier. The damned thing doesn't seem to have a front or rear either, at least from the side view.

Quoting somebody else... it looks like a particularly ugly snake that swallowed a wardrobe.

 

[GeforcerFX]

I like the concept, a smaller car that someone old or young that lives in dense urban environments can afford easily. You get better protection than a scooter or moped, easier to carry things with you to and from your home, and more comfortable for two people. In the USA having the enclosure and having heater would be a big plus for a lot of people in the northeast, great lakes and northwest urban areas. But needs another 20-30 miles of range and needs a 35-40mph top speed. We already see vehicles like this in the southwest with retirement villages having people that pretty much only drive there road legal golf carts around.

 

[opckieran]

Uhm it says "PER MONTH" in the title, what are you on about?
Deep breaths...

Because putting $2900 down up front kind of defeats the cheap aspect don’t’cha think? It’s effectively $143/mo, not $22... for a car that can only do 44 miles and 28mph too.

 

[cuerdc]

Yeah... just wait on the insurance quote?

 

[lazer]

I saw all the negative comments, but I sort of like having a small car like that to get around the city in. It is not for long hiway hauls, but short hops close to home, like 44 km or miles isn't much.....

 

[quadibloc]

Uhm it says "PER MONTH" in the title, what are you on about?

I should think it's clear. If all you have in your pocket is $22, you aren't going to be able to ride it for one month. That isn't a rental charge, it's a lease payment, after a $2,644 down payment. That is way different.

 

[Evernessince]

I like the concept, a smaller car that someone old or young that lives in dense urban environments can afford easily. You get better protection than a scooter or moped, easier to carry things with you to and from your home, and more comfortable for two people. In the USA having the enclosure and having heater would be a big plus for a lot of people in the northeast, great lakes and northwest urban areas. But needs another 20-30 miles of range and needs a 35-40mph top speed. We already see vehicles like this in the southwest with retirement villages having people that pretty much only drive there road legal golf carts around.

Maybe not too north though. A car like this will never survive a buffalo winter.

 

[GeforcerFX]

Maybe not too north though. A car like this will never survive a buffalo winter.

Would still prob do better than a scooter, bike or moped . Those heavy winter cities really need to improve the mass transit since the non car options are limited for the residents.

 

[Yeett]

Congratulation, its a toy car with a bigger battery.